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MIZRAHI
WITH A ZING
FASHION DESIGNER TURNED
CABARET PERFORMER
ISAAC MIZRAHI BRINGS HIS
LARGER-THAN-LIFE PERSONALITY
TO THE CHICAGO STAGE.
BY J.P. ANDERSON
It's not so far from the fashion runway
to the stage—especially when you're
Isaac Mizrahi, the Brooklyn-bred
designer who rocketed to fame in the
'90s at the dawn of the supermodel age
and starred in the instant-classic
documentary Unzipped. Having long
dabbled in cabaret at various NYC
venues (including an acclaimed
February run at the iconic Café
Carlyle), Mizrahi is hitting the road
with Does This Song Make Me Look
Fat?, his not-so-family-friendly stage
act. As he prepares for his Chicago
debut at City Winery, the Project
Runway All Stars judge recently
chatted with Michigan Avenue about
the thrill of performing, his changing
relationship with fashion, and what
makes cabaret such a kick.
Playing the Carlyle is one thing,
but touring is another level.
I'm scared to death. I'm not scared of
Chicago—Chicago to me is very much
like New York. I think it'll be fun. God
knows I've had difficult audiences, but
no matter what, it's always worth it.
What should the audience expect?
It's not G-rated—how does that sound?
There's a louche kind of quality to the
story and [audiences] might not expect
that, but maybe now they should.
Have you spent much time here?
I used to spend tons of time in
After an acclaimed
February 2017
run at Café Carlyle
in New York City,
fashion figure
extraordinaire
Isaac Mizrahi is
bringing his cabaret
act to Chicago.
PHOTOGRAPHY
BY
DAVID
ANDRAKO
70 MICHIGANAVEMAG.COM
SCENE MUST-SEE